Awareness to Advocacy – Are you clear on what exhibition visitors are looking for when they enter an event?
It’s a great question to ponder isn’t it… what exactly is it that visitors are looking for at events?
For some they’re there to gather information, for others it’s to network and build partnerships for then there’s the tranche that are there to make some decisions and do business.
Therefore, when we approach an exhibition design project, we like to keep in mind that your event is another key marketing activity.
As marketers you’ll be familiar with the marketing consideration funnel.
At the top of the funnel we have Awareness, generally making people aware that you exist. Then we move to Consideration – this is where they’re seeking and sourcing more specific information about you and engaging with you in some way to learn whether you’re the right partner or supplier. Next along the funnel is Conversion – this is the moment of the purchase decision – getting visitors to actually convert, whether that’s to sign up to a trial or a meeting, whatever, your conversion goal looks like – and last but certainly not least, Advocacy. Many conversion funnels end with Conversion but actually, the conversion opens up a whole load of opportunity. Those that become advocates keep coming back for more and they love what you do so much, that they keep sharing the good word about your brand, product or service.
That’s why at 4D Design, when we take a client brief, we map it into the entire consideration funnel.
Awareness
Of course, at an event, you want all eyes to be on your stand. You want that buzz of excitement, with people wondering what’s happening and why the crowds are gathering around. Engagement is key to the overall event experience, and there are ways to create a highly engaging experience during an event to keep visitors moving along the consideration funnel.
Think about your marketing. This shouldn’t just be at the point visitors see first as they enter the location, but consider what’s going on all around your stand. You want to be visible and informative from every angle.
Consideration
What happens when people get to your stand, once you’ve driven them there, what have you got to engage them to want to go deeper into the brand experience. Think about their needs, anticipate their questions, entertain them, educate them and inspire them.
Conversion
Being objectively driven is something we always source at the outset when designing exhibition stands. Pushing boundaries is something we love to do and our clients love us for that. Our brand after all is 4D Design – and we always look to add another dimension. But we always keep in mind the overarching client objectives. Good design is a blend of delivering on our clients’ expectation at every level – and that includes the fundamental successful outcomes. So think about your conversion tactics – what is the conversion you’re looking for. After all – by measuring clear outcomes, it also helps you to better understand and translate the impact of your presence and your return on investment.
Advocacy
And last but certainly not least, what are you doing to drive engagement and advocacy. What is it that’s going to keep people talking about you and keeping that brand story buzz alive long after the show has closed its doors?
So tell us… are you considering the whole marketing funnel – we’d love to hear your views.
If you’d like to take your exhibition stand or tradeshow presence to another dimension – then our 4D team would love to hear from you.
Simply email Suzanne Malhotra on suzanne@4d-design.co.uk or call on + 44 (0)1494 680088. Visit: www.4d-design.co.uk to see our work, creds and to get in touch.
4D Design is like a SWOT team operation when it comes to designing creative spaces that convert and drive success. Operating globally for over three decades they’re lucky to have some of the most experienced and respected experts in the industry on the team. As their brand name suggests, their creations continually take exhibition and tradeshow stand design to another dimension.
